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Japanese Constitution “Preamble”

We, acting through our duly elected representatives in the National Diet, determined that we shall secure for ourselves and our posterity the fruits of peaceful cooperation with all nations and the blessings of liberty throughout this land, and resolved that never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government, do proclaim that sovereign power resides with the people and do firmly establish this Constitution.

In the first place, national government rests on the solemn trust of the people; its authority originates from the people, its power is exercised by the people's representatives, and its welfare is enjoyed by the people.This is a principle universal to humankindThis Constitution is based on this principle. We will eliminate all constitutions, laws, and edicts that contradict this.
We aspire to everlasting peace and are deeply aware of the noble ideals that govern relationships between human beings.We are determined to preserve our security and survival by trusting in the justice and faith of peace-loving nations.

We wish to occupy an honorable place in an international community that strives to preserve peace and to rid the earth of tyranny, servitude, oppression and bigotry forever.We affirm that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.

We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society striving for the preservation of peace, and the banishment of tyranny and slavery, oppression and intolerance for all time from the earth. We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.

We believe that no nation is responsible to itself alone, but that laws of political morality are universal; and that obedience to such laws is incumbent upon all nations who would sustain their own sovereignty and justify their sovereign relationship with other nations. We pledge our national honor to accomplish these high ideals and purposes with all our resources.

(from THE "PREFACE" OF CONSTITUTION OF JAPAN)
THE CONSTITUTION OF JAPAN :
http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Japan/English/english-Constitution.html



It was in the late fall of November, 1922, when Albert Einstein heard the news of his winning the Nobel Prize on the way to visit Japan, when Japan rolled out the red carpet for the Scientist known, at the time, as "Dr. Relativity".

During his visit, Einstein who is now one of the most well-known Nobel-Prize winning Scientists in history, said he hoped that we Japanese never loose our inherent and essential national traits of modesty, frugality, purity and tranquility.

At the end of his visit to Japan, the Scientist said he had not been aware that there still remained a modest, honest, loyal nation like Japan, who retains her beautiful natural scenery and quiet houses, which suit the beauty of her scenery and are representative of her unique value.

(Cited from an editorial "Tenseijingo" in Asahi Shimbun dated October 5, 2006)



When looking at a glass of water filled in half, a pessimist complains that the glass is only half-full. However, Japan is a country whose glass is filled to the brim with dreams and possibilities, in every respect: numerous technologies, a rich natural environment, a high level of public security, a unique wisdom resolutely turned towards the future...

(Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation – excerpt from the morning edition of The Sankei Shimbun dated January 20, 2009)

 


Peace poem “Living”

Rinko Sagara, 3rd year, Minatogawa Junior High School, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture

 

 

i'm alive.
Stepping on the earth that transmits the heat of the mantle,
Feeling the pleasant moisture-laden wind all over your body,
I can feel the smell of grass in my nostrils,
Listen to the sound of the waves coming from far away.

This island where I live is
What a beautiful island!
The blue shining sea,
Shining waves splashing against the rocks,
Goat's cry,
The babbling of the brook,
A path leading to a field,
The greenery of the mountain sprouting,
The gentle sound of the sanshin,
The shining light of the sun.

What a beautiful island I am,
Probably born and raised there.

With all my sense organs and sensitivity,
Feel the island. My heart gradually becomes warmer.

The beauty of this moment
The love of this moment
It's a peace of mind for now
It spreads inside me.

This feeling that is irresistibly welling up
How should I express it?
This is an important moment
This is an irreplaceable moment

Seventy-three years ago,
That day, the island I loved turned into an island of death.
The chirping of birds turned into screams of terror.
The gentle sound of the sanshin disappeared in the roar of the bombing.
The vast blue sky disappeared under the rain of iron.
The smell of grass is clouded with the smell of death,
The shining surface of the sea,
It was filled with battleships.
The flames coming out of the flamethrower, the cries of a baby,
Burnt out houses, the smell of gunpowder.
The earth shakes as the bullet hits. A sea stained with blood.
People who have changed their appearance, just like Chimi Mōryō.
Memories of a fierce battle.

Everyone was alive.
There's nothing different from me,
It was a life lived to the fullest.
their lives, their futures.
I had envisioned it without a doubt.
I had a family, friends, and a lover.
I had a job. There was something worth living for.
I rejoiced in the small daily joys. They were human beings, just like me, who had lived hand in hand.
And yet.
Broken and stolen.
We lived in a different era. But that's all.
Innocent lives. Those days when we lived for granted.

Mabuni Hill. The calm sea spread out below.
Everything about this island is sad and unforgettable.
I hold your hand tightly and swear.
Thinking of the lives that were taken,
I swear with all my heart.

As long as I'm alive
We must never allow a war that has cost so many lives.
Never let the past become your future again.
Aiming for a world where all humans are at peace, transcending borders, races, religions, and interests.
Being able to live and cherish life,
To create a world that is not invaded by anyone.
Be willing to make efforts to create peace.

You'll feel it too.
The beauty of this island.
You probably know that too.
The sadness of this island.
And you too
This moment is the same as me
We live together.

So I'm sure you'll understand.
The meaninglessness of war. Real peace.
Not with your head, but with your heart.
By having the foolish power of military strength,
That there really is no such thing as peace.
Peace means living normally.
The key is to live your life to the fullest.

I live in the now.
With everyone.
And I will continue to live.
Cherish each day.
Think of peace. Pray for peace.
Because the future is
This is because it is an extension of this moment.
In other words, the future is now.

I love my island.
A proud island for everyone.
And all the lives that live on this island.
My friend who lives this moment with me. my family.

Let's continue to live together.
From this beautiful hometown surrounded by blue.
Let's launch true peace.
Each person stood up and
Let's all walk into the future together.

Blown by the wind of Mabuni Hill,
My life is calling.
Resonance between past, present and future.
Deliver the requiem. In the past of sadness.
Sound, life! To the future of living.
I will live in the present.

 

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